1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a refill cartridge for a stick which applies product by rubbing onto a surface, such as an adhesive stick.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Refill cartridges of this type and a corresponding method for filling them are known from applicants' DE 41 20 969 A1 and also from DE 41 16 581 A1. They are particularly suitable for refilling adhesive sticks, but also other sticks which apply product by rubbing onto a surface, such as deodorant sticks, lipsticks, lubricant sticks, shaving soap sticks or crayons. The main advantage of these refill cartridges is that, when the stick is empty, its key non-consumable elements can be repeatedly reused by quasirefilling of the stick with a refill cartridge, for which purpose the initially closed refill cartridge is fitted onto and secured to the stick, the screwthreaded spindle of the stick being introduced into the refill cartridge and screwed into the plunger so that it can then engage in the bore formed over the entire length of the product of the refill cartridge.
Although a refill cartridge of the type in question has considerable advantages, it has been found that the production and filling of such a refill cartridge with initially liquid product involve disadvantages in view of the need to form a bore throughout the product to receive the screwthreaded spindle. Thus, in the method according to DE 41 20 969 A1, the empty refill cartridge closed at its bottom end is initially introduced into a mold in which a pin extending over the mold--for receiving the screwthreaded bore of the plunger and for forming the bore extending throughout the product--is arranged at the bottom of the mold concentrically of its longitudinal axis. The product is then poured in and, after the product has solidified, the pin forming the bore in the product has to be removed. The refill cartridge then has to be tightly closed at both ends to ensure that the product does not come into contact with the surrounding air.